Photos taken in 2011

Amid controversy, Provident Bank Park finally opened in June of 2011. There had been protests and lawsuits from the Preserve Ramapo group from the day the project started, but ultimately these never slowed the progress of the ballpark construction. Now that it's been built, hopefully those who oppose it can stop their whining and just accept it. Located about 1 hour north of New York City, Provident Bank Park is located in affluent Rockland County (hence the name of the team). Upon my first visit (which was just the Boulders third home game), I was quite impressed with the physical structure of the ballpark, but clearly some finishing touches are needed. Despite only being built for the independent Can-Am League (which did not have any glitzy ballparks), this park is clearly good enough to host higher levels of baseball - close to being on par with many AA facilities. It features the usual amenities that most new ballparks have - a 360 degree concourse which overlooks the field, many group areas, a playground for kids, and numerous places to just hang out and watch the game. But it also has some features that truly are unique. The "Bridge Bar" is located in the left field corner - this is an area open to everyone where fans can watch the game at field level. The "Short Porch" behind the right field fence, which is only for groups, contains both regular seats and picnic tables as well as a covered area with big screen TVs. And then there is the "Dugout of Dreams", which is essentially an extension of the home dugout where up to 30 people can have a party. This is very similar to what that have at Fluor Field in Greenville, SC. Also, throughout the park, there is lots of stonework - something rarely seen at a baseball park. The main seating bowl is made up of all green chairs, while in the outfield there are bleacher seats in left field and "pavilion" seats in right-center. Strangely, the team is not yet selling these pavilion seats, so apparently they are available for anyone to sit in. Also, along the infield, there are loge seats, which are essentially like open-air luxury boxes. They each have a refrigerator and hold about 10 people. One feature missing here is a grassy berm, but with a large playground and a very spacious concourse, kids will still have plenty of places to run around. Concessions here are a bit limited in a variety, but that's probably best for a team just starting out. Their signature item is "Boulders on a Bun" (a meatball sub), but they also offer several different specialty burgers and dogs as well as pizza and Italian sausages. While the quality is good, the team forces fans to buy "baskets" (which include a burger or dog and fries) rather than just being able to buy items a la carte. With these baskets going for $8.50, there is no way to eat cheap here. For a brand new ballpark, the atmosphere is surprisingly laid back - there is not much music played (except between innings) and almost no sound effects. The team has a mascot, Boulder Bird, but he stayed on the concourse most of the game and didn't distract the fans too much. A dance team made one appearance, but that was it fortunately. As mentioned, a few finishing touches are needed. First, there are many open spaces on the concourse which could use some tables for fans to sit at. Second, there is too much unpainted concrete, which gives the park a bit of a bland feel. Lastly, the team needs to have programs available. It was inexcusable that none were available on opening weekend. Despite the high prices (which includes $5 for parking and $11-$16 for tickets), I did enjoy my first visit to Provident Bank Park. Because of its proximity to me, I will surely be making more visits, at which time I will update this review.